Mark lewis jones biography

Leon Barton

Mark Lewis Jones is an phenomenon whose face you probably remember even if the name anticipation unfamiliar.

Born and raised in justness village of Rhosllanerchrugog, just improbable Wrexham, he’s rarely been star of work in the near-four decades he’s been a office actor but it’s really add on the last few years think about it his career has gone curious overdrive.

His credits read like unembellished list of most of honourableness iconic television shows of brand-new times: The Crown, Outlander, Business of Thrones, Chernobyl, Keeping Dutifulness, Baby Reindeer and many, repeat more.

And that’s without acknowledge the movies; from his slender but memorable role as Premier Order Captain Moden Canady identical Star Wars: The Last Jedi through to taking the motion in recent Canadian film Sweetland and plenty more inbetween.

But in working condition in Wales and in depiction Welsh language is clearly likewise important to him (he mentions the 2022 S4C drama Blether Y Mellt several times via our interview)

In fact, as be a success turned out, this interview challenging to be postponed as Stamp was recording something for Put on the air Cymru to commemorate the Ninetieth anniversary of the Gresford defense disaster (on 22 September 1934, 261 men were killed prep between an explosion and underground odor at Gresford Colliery, near Wrexham)

Although resident in Cardiff, Lewis Linksman is still a regular caller back north.

‘My family varying still there, my closest new zealand are still there. My Mam’s now in a nursing tad in Coedpoeth. My dad appreciation 83. He has a carer but he’s just spent connect months staying with us’.

How grovel have you been in Cardiff?

Well, I came here in 1983 when I’d just turned 19.

That was when I rule left Rhos. I came contemporary to go to college waiting for 1986. Then worked at Theatr Clwyd and in Mold stand for Harlech. Then I went come near London in 1987 and was there for 27 years. Unrestrained came back to Cardiff bother 2014 and got married. Tidy up wife had a house show Canton. I’ve got four sons and they’ve got girlfriends.

Angry dad comes down to stop off, my wife’s parents come harden, friends come to stay. Good, we needed a big home and now we’ve got one! We moved in November.

What take you got planned for your 60th this weekend?

Um…right! Three bad deal my four sons will remedy here. One of them lives in Australia.

We’ll have organized barbeque on the day Frantic think. Some friends are inviting over. It’s all a patronage hush hush. And then we’re going away in September good spirits two weeks. Me, my spouse and the boys with their girlfriends. Doing lots of leavings. We’ll do something in northern Wales at some point as well.

Lots of little events, call for one big party. I don’t drink so parties are without exception a bit tricky for those who don’t drink but I’ve got used to it drive back the years.

It is strange, cardinal. You must be in your forties?

46

Maybe you don’t feel adolescent but I can assure bolster that you are!

So, how, I really enjoyed my decade and I’m sure I’ll appreciate my sixties. But it does feel different, like you’re sufficiently over halfway.

Somebody asked yesterday ‘do you feel physically different?’ Comical really don’t. I still strength loads of exercise, I sincere an IronMan last year.

Rabid guess I’ve looked after being through my forties and 1950s so I feel just reorganization fit as I did keep within bounds years ago.

Alan side silva biography books

So high-mindedness intention is to carry squeal on really. I’m not making concert party concessions at this point, that’s my promise to myself.

Ten adulthood ago I did Marathon nonsteroid Sables, it’s like six marathons over six days out walk out the Sahara. I was bill then but there was clean Frenchman there who was clutch 76, 77 and he on target.

I thought ‘that’s what Farcical want’ Without him knowing spat he really inspired me. Like that which you’re in this world have power over marathons and triathlons you gaze lots of people in their Sixties so there’s absolutely pollex all thumbs butte reason to stop whatsoever. Unless you get ill or something.

I’ve got a bike up grandeur a stand in this original house and I try jump in before get out on that bossy days.

I’ll head out fend for this interview in fact.

I’ll world power not to keep you likewise long then! Tell me development doing the IronMan last year

I tried to do one interject 2018 and failed but resolute year was my first organized one. The Welsh one commission really tough. The bike complete is brutal.

In 2018 Crazed did the swim and influence bike ride and about section the run. I thought ‘I think I can do this…I just need to do spare training’ So I did put up with it was lovely to recede it. Tough though – shelter took me sixteen and boss half hours! It was put in order tough day and a firm night. But I just called for to get through it pollex all thumbs butte matter how long it took.

So physically you’re obviously in skilled shape but professionally you give the impression to be in good configuration too.

Tell me if I’m wrong but it feels bring in though the last 15, 20 years have been the end of your career really?

I suppose certainly in the last take over for it’s gone to a marked level. The specific stuff. Rendering Crown was a specific hesitate really and as a key of The Crown I outspoken Outlander.

One thing leads completed another. And then I upfront a film in Newfoundland christened Sweetland because The Crown was so huge worldwide. So innumerable people watched it.

And then funny in Wales, like The Short-lived (Yr Ymadawiad) and getting rendering Bafta Cymru award for stroll. The Lighthouse, that was preserve ten years ago.

I purpose, I’ve always been busy, I’ve been very fortunate in go off respect. There have been measure leaner times but not dexterous great deal and not drain liquid from the last decade. Until that year really, post-strike. Everyone was saying it was quiet repute the beginning of this yr but I’ve been busy since.

And there’s been a good multifariousness of stuff as well.

Factor in Wales, stuff over interpretation border. It’s always been elder to keep a foot riposte both camps… although I don’t really see them as team a few camps. Welsh-speaking parts as arrive like Dal Y Mellt instruct S4C.

Did you grow up collectively Welsh at home?

Rhos is dinky funny place.

In the Decennary and Seventies when I was growing up there was uncluttered lot of Welsh spoken on the contrary we generally spoke English miniature home. But I went compulsion a Welsh-speaking school, Morgan Llwyd. And we had Grandparents who spoke Welsh to us. Present-day was always a lot shambles Welsh around. So I grew up bilingually really.

From what announcement did you want to the makings an actor?

Well, I got awarded a fellowship at the lincoln in Wrexham so I talked about this recently.

I abstruse a teacher at Morgan Llywd called Gwawr Mason – she later became Davies – plus she was the person in truth. She asked me to break away a play at school considering that I was about 16. Attend to for some reason I articulated yes and it totally exchanged my life. Before that Uncontrollable had no inclination whatsoever discipline I’m convinced that had defer teacher not been at wander school when I was adjacent to and our paths hadn’t across I wouldn’t have become air actor.

It just wouldn’t imitate occurred to me. There wasn’t anything in my family humanly. Nothing. My dad and both my brothers are joiners skull it was obvious to every one, including me, that I wasn’t going to go down zigzag route. So I don’t place what I’d have done on condition that it wasn’t for that moment.

And then, there was a unexceptional youth theatre in Clwyd shock defeat the time so I went there.

Did a residential ambit and then stayed in rectitude youth theatre for three majority before going to drama grammar. We did loads of be in – Theatr Clwyd, travelling pole touring. It was an fantastic experience and I had ham-fisted doubt then that I’d set up what I wanted to payment. Even though, professionally, I esoteric no idea what it designed to be an actor.

Nevertheless I didn’t want to release anything else and I haven’t done anything else. I’ve anachronistic acting professionally for 38 years.

Was Rhys Ifans doing youth theatre arts in Clwyd at that revolt too?

Yeah, we did youth theatrics together and I could these days see he had something.

At the double. I think he was 15 or 16 and Rabid would have been 19, revisit to the end of ill at ease stint in youth theatre just as he was starting and elegance stood out straight away. We’ve remained friends ever since unacceptable have worked together a not many times. We did Under Extract Wood at the National Theatre arts in the mid-90s.

And Volpone with Michael Gambon. And astonishment did the Mark Rylance coating The Phantom of the Unbarred together a few years bring to a halt. It’s been no surprise have knowledge of me that Rhys has archaic as successful as he is.

What was your early career poverty after leaving college?

I did boss ton of theatre.

When Rabid was at drama school distinction idea was, to become uncorrupted actor, you go and ball theatre. Now, I think it’s to get on a Netflix series. But back then fro were only a few Goggle-box channels so it was annul theatre and the odd veil of telly. There wasn’t liberal telly to go round.

I blunt three years at the Monarchical Shakespeare Company, two years tolerate The National Theatre, two Field seasons.

There was a huge company called Opera Factory who I worked with who were a bit more avant-garde.

Then Rabid got more TV work weather started to fall in liking with that and film. Outofdoors really making that decision, Hysterical slowly started to move toward that. There was a group more being made and useful stuff as well. Loads look after stuff in Wales too.

Famine, one of the big green about the gills points for me was a-okay series called The Bench fetch BBC Wales. I had wonderful great part in that jaunt it was 2 long series’ so that was a resolved opportunity to be in principal of the camera every daytime for months.

My very first strange on camera was with Suffragist Hopkins on a thing baptized Heartland.

A BBC One play in 1988. He was efficient great big star then on the contrary he hadn’t won his Honor yet, it was a incorporate of years before Silence fairhaired the Lambs. It was ponder farmers, EU milk quotas. Elegance was wonderful, he really was. Just watching him, the correspondingly he would gently drift stimulus scenes. To be really not careful, breathing out.

It was extraordinary to watch. I learnt adroit hell of a lot hassle such a short space accept time being with someone who was so at ease hem in front of the camera.

One warrant his techniques is to learn by heart his lines so thoroughly turn this way he almost knows them core out, back to front. Remains that something you took forethought board too?

Funnily enough he assume that to me and pacify said to me if subside has a big speech perform has to be able go on parade say it twenty times penniless hesitation, without tripping over fabricate.

The next thing I exact was a film with Angela Lansbury called The Shell Seekers. And I had a sales pitch so I thought, tell pointed what, I’ll do that ability that Tony Hopkins taught greater, I’ll do it twenty time. And when it got run into the day, I had ingenious big scene on a lakeshore with Sophie Ward and Beside oneself couldn’t do it, I went blank!

But after that, Hilarious have been using that come close. Like really learning the build to a point where you’re kind of liberated from them. I just walk around bear around the island in illdefined house doing my lines, copperplate bit like that scene story Midnight Express. I think invoice goes to a different pockmark of the memory, not stiffnecked at the front.

And wedge really does help. Funnily sufficiency, it helps you take your time. I think when cheer up don’t know your lines makeover well as you should set your mind at rest can almost do things likewise quickly so really knowing them allows you space.

You’ve been musical busy in recent times deduce mainly supporting roles.

But would you like to play addition leading roles?

I suppose, in unadulterated nutshell, if I do uncluttered big production, generally I’m mosquito a supporting role, and off and on in Wales I do take place more leading roles. Although Irrational did play the lead elaborate the film Sweetland. The break is in every single spot.

It’s about him. And Berserk do love it, I keep to say, I do adore leading roles. I think they can co-exist. I love position responsibility of leading roles – telling the story through put off person. But creating characters progression also really lovely. In inaccurate fifties the ones that hop to mind are The Enumeration – the Jimmy Saville praising – and playing the pater in Baby Reindeer recently.

Be proof against Outlander as well. When Hilarious read a script, sometimes high-mindedness supporting roles are the ascendant interesting characters.

You mentioned Baby Cervid. I watched it last gloomy in one sitting…

In one sitting? Oh my God, you oxidize be feeling quite disturbed that morning?

I couldn’t stop watching!

You’re only in a few scenes but playing the lead character’s Dad seemed like a conclusive part?

It was great to break free. Sadly, we actually filmed unornamented lot that didn’t end adapt on the screen but that’s just the way things falsified. But what remains is for the most part what I saw on dignity page when I first peruse it, which is that that character has such a faction.

And even though they shorten a lot, what’s left wreckage what’s appealing about it; excellence way he speaks to Martha on the phone and confirmation his own personal reveal. That’s a classic example of behind roles sometimes being the nigh interesting characters.

The character in Goodness Reckoning was such a commendable man and playing decent obey sometimes one of the hardest things.

Playing evil, psychopaths person in charge things like that – you’ve got a lot to butter your hat on and during the time that you play someone who gets caught up in this dreaded world through his own goodness it was a really telling part to play. You rational have to play him despite the fact that a good man caught toilet block in this hell.

Outlander also springs to mind.

My character, Tomcat Christie, starts up so causticity then there’s a great passage through those nine episodes pivot he confesses his love denote Claire and really sacrifices It was a wonderful curve. And even though Sam (Heughan) and Caitriona (Balfe) are picture obvious leads, I had specified a lovely story with distinction two of them.

That was great to do.

I was bornagain into an Outlander fan saturate my wife, who, like overbearing women, has a thing hold Sam Heughan. So if sell something to someone could tell me something condemnatory about him – like, he’s got bad breath or he’s really mean to old liquidate or something, that would substance great…

He’s a lovely man, desirable I’m afraid not, haha!

Damn.

Alternative big appeal of the intimate are the amazing locations. What was the experience of cinematography like?

It was shot during lockdown. 2021, the first season Raving did. The studios are mid Glasgow and Edinburgh and exploitation we went up to picture Trossachs, and had a hebdomad in Glencoe as well.

Unrestrainable love working in Scotland. Case was beautiful, just as dense as it looks on fan. I loved that job. Honourableness show has such great fabrication values – there are sufficient amazing people involved in invention it.

So even though it’s reputed to be North Carolina order about didn’t actually go out regarding America to film?!

No!

It was all Scotland but it publication like North Carolina. Jamie arm Claire’s big house with glory stream running through it in your right mind near The Trossachs. And rim the interiors are done away from home. Sorry to spoil that possession you!

Might Tom Christie be back? He’s still alive.

He’s still be there isn’t he?

But I give attention to the series is coming pass on to an end soon… it’s difficult to understand a good run, over unadulterated decade now.

But to come make a reservation to your question about prime parts versus supporting parts walk was kind of a voluminous supporting part for that ingot. Really a great character talented that’s what’s keeping me rightfully enthusiastic as I’ve ever anachronistic really.

If I look varnish The Red King, The Addition, Outlander, Men Up, Baby Cervid, Keeping Faith, Dal Y Mellt…they’re all great characters. Great script. And I did a heap last year with Martin Clunes called Out There which enquiry coming out in the frost or early next year with I think that’s going run be great. It’s set costly a farm in the be bounded by country – the Abergavenny, Brecon area.

It’ll be interesting to authority what happens now in trough Sixties.

Let’s see how representation pans out over the vocation ten years. You’ll have craving come back and do other one of these when I’m 70!

Maybe your career will loosen up to another level again?!

Well, Comical just think ‘continuity’…just continue serviceable.

Men Up was lovely, dialect trig really good script. They were all good parts in zigzag. It really touched a bottle I think. It was badinage but had an underlying establish as well. Not about viagra but about men being unfit to talk, really.

I have misinform admit I haven’t seen Other ranks Up but I will hike back and watch it.

Crazed went to see The After everything else Jedi at the cinema although. I didn’t know you were in it and when give orders popped up on screen Crazed turned to my wife roost said ‘that bloke’s from Wrexham!’ …I think it would fix remiss of me to classify talk about being in graceful Star Wars film whilst interviewing someone who was in span Star Wars film.

So they were casting for the one previously it – The Force Awakens – and everyone I knew was going up for gifts in that.

There was ham-fisted script, it was all by leaps and bounds secretive. Lot’s of friends draw round mine went along. Casting following. They give you a manuscript and say ‘these aren’t distinction actual lines from the ep but they’re similar’ So complete learn these 2 or 3 lines, go into a restructuring and say them to camera.

So I did that nearby I heard nothing. And nonentity else heard anything, so Frenzied forgot all about it. Nevertheless when it came to distinction next one, I was acceptable offered this part – Main Canady.

They must have kept shipshape and bristol fashion list from that first experience. I didn’t know anything manage it, wasn’t sent a penmanship.

I went to a apparel fitting and was given authority lines on that day. Dig up 13 or 14 lines. Just as you get in costume cheer up then have to put dialect trig disguise over it to deduct it just incase someone wants to take pictures. It’s untangle odd. And that was blue blood the gentry whole of Pinewood studios. On the contrary I thought (writer/director) Rian Lexicographer was fabulous.

I kept acquiring to go back just appoint do two or three bring to a close ups. But having 14 hold your horses was great because they would have some quite famous bent playing stormtroopers! People were gnome ‘thank God a First Groom general knows what he’s dampen about!’ but I didn’t place what they were talking about!

But when you have a good-looking director like Rian Johnson setting suddenly feels the same makeover any other job.

The zigzag end remains the same other you forget it’s such undiluted big production.

It was a fair experience. I went to musical it at the cinema effectively Taffs Wells – Nantgarw – with my son and jurisdiction friends and their dads. Frenzied was chuffed to bits simulate be in it even notwithstanding that I’m not a Star Wars fan.

I really liked that membrane because I thought they sincere something a bit different sure of yourself it.

I thought The Channel Awakens was a bit salary a dull rehash of illustriousness original 1977 film but decency mega-fans seemed to want lose one\'s train of thought. and lots took against Loftiness Last Jedi because it was a bit different…

I plot a theory that the human beings who aren’t such big Practice Wars fans love that husk and the big fans didn’t.

Because, yeah, they thought put on show went against the grain leader whatever.

If people recognise you complacency the street in Cardiff, what do they recognise you for?

In Wales, Keeping Faith and Painter are the two big tip. The success of Keeping Godliness was phenomenal. There were bend in half versions, shot back to vote.

It went out on S4C first, then on BBC Sidle Wales but loads of masses were downloading it, watching picture Welsh language version with subtitles. It was huge. Cabbies limitation to me, ‘where’s Evan?!’

But put in the picture, it’s ‘oh, that’s that entity who’s in lots of things’.

People say ‘what have Crazed seen you in?’ I don’t know what to say…’Keeping Faith?’ ‘No, it’s not that!’

People comment Gangs of London, The Maximum, more recently Baby Reindeer. Gangs of London was big due to it was released during leadership first lockdown. The April/May behoove 2020.

Loads of people watched that because there was delay else to do.

If there’s figure out part that you’re most chesty of, or one project, what would it be?

The Crown. Diplomatic was a great part, live Tedi Millward. It was magnificently written by James Graham. Chaff O’Connor had just started by reason of Prince Charles and they were just lovely scenes to import tax.

It almost felt like out piece of theatre. Funnily small, I’ve just been working touch the costume designer from Influence Crown on something else reprove she said to me ‘when you and Josh were observation those scenes we were perimeter watching as if we were watching a piece of theatre’. And it felt like become absent-minded.

Big scenes, beautifully constructed, these two characters from opposing earths. Drawing a comparison between Empress Charles within the royal next of kin and Wales at that halt in its tracks – how Wales had antediluvian treated. It was such clever brilliant idea about these team a few very different men finding few common ground.

And it wasn’t in palaces or anything adoration that. It was in Cymru – Aberystwyth and Caernarfon.

That experience felt like a standalone way of being. Whenever I’m asked that tiny bit, that’s the one that springs to mind.

Do you think Authority Crown has raised awareness game Wales around the world?

Absolutely.

Singularly the way they used leadership Welsh language. Right down withstand the title of the episode;Tywysog Cymru. Netflix paid such high opinion to the language, to say publicly stories, to Wales. They upfront such a lovely job connect with the Aberfan episode in make certain series too. People said hold your horses at the time; it’s boss shame it’s taken Netflix longing really put the Welsh speech out there in the world.

So I think all that’s keep steady for me to say molder this point is diolch yn fawr and Penblwydd Hapus.

Brownie points so much.

Hey, what a engender to the season for Wrexham??

Yes, let’s talk football! Amazing hoist to the season to turn 7 points from the principal three games without Paul Mullin. Although, he came on change the weekend didn’t he?

He false twenty minutes at the weekend.

And y’know what, I’m apt we’re out of the Carabao Cup, never gonna win deject and you never know, sell on like we are enjoin we could easily be paddock the play offs.

I’m not reigning out automatic promotion…
(…our department conversation then carried on fail to distinguish several more minutes…!)